Lakeshore path plans to be unveiled

Options to improve the Howard Temin Lakeshore Path using federal funding will be unveiled Thursday, May 4.

Details: Path proposals will be unveiled Thursday, May 4, at 7 p.m., 1100 Grainger Hall.

The meeting will be used to discuss issues related to improving path safety, addressing erosion and other environmental concerns, and maintaining compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. The consulting firm working on the project, Strand Associates, Inc. and Ken Saiki Design, will show maps of the options.

“The purpose of this meeting is to gather input from the public about the project objectives and options and hear people’s ideas,” says Lori Kay, director of UW–Madison Transportation Services.

University officials stress that the renovation must balance the needs of commuters and recreational users with care of the path’s surrounding environment.

A meeting this fall will be used to gather input on the final concept. The final project design should be done by December, with construction to begin in spring 2001.

Safety measures along the path could include more signs; outdoor mirrors at intersections; additional separated bicycle and walking paths, especially from Picnic Point to Oxford Road on the west end of campus; and straightening the path near the Limnology Laboratory to increase visibility.

Erosion control measures could include stabilizing the lakeshore bank and efforts to minimize sediment and storm water runoff and soil compaction. Some brush could be removed and replaced with native vegetation.